Interview with Stéphanie Bureau, Sustainability Advisor, Cascades
Why is sustainability important to Cascades?
Cascades is a leader in the recovery and manufacturing of environmentally friendly packaging and hygiene products. Our business model is based on circular economy and eco-design principles. Sustainability has been integral to our company’s DNA since 1964. Our mission is to improve the well-being of people, communities, and the planet by providing sustainable and innovative solutions that create value. Over the years, Cascades remained a sustainability leader largely owing to its extensive material recovery and recycling activities, ambitious sustainability action plans driving positive improvements, extensive employee benefits programs, and active support for countless organizations and causes. We are sustainability experts who care in maximizing our partners’ business potential while minimizing their environmental footprint. For the past six years, we have been recognized among the most sustainable corporations in the world according to the Global 100 by Corporate Knights.
Which product, innovation, or accomplishment are you most proud of from a sustainability standpoint?
This year, we developed the Cascades PRO Perform Premium Multifold Hand Towel: A new premium multifold towel made with 100% recycled fibers, offering a level of performance and quality that rivals other premium options on the market that are mainly made with virgin fibers. We are incredibly proud to provide another sustainable solution with the Green Seal mark without compromising on quality, all at a competitive price. This innovation underscores our dedication to sustainability, demonstrating that top-tier products can combine high- performance and lower environmental impacts.
What kind of health or sustainability features and information are your customers looking for today?
We believe our customers are looking for tissue paper products that ensure their health and safety by avoiding harmful substances and chemicals during the manufacturing process. They are also looking for products and packaging that embody high environmental standards, including the use of recycled and recyclable materials as well as reduced footprints thanks to sustainable manufacturing and operations. Third-party certifications are crucial allies in ensuring that consumer products meet high health, safety, and environmental standards which reflect our added value proposal. Certifications like Green Seal, which focuses on product-specific criteria including chlorine-free processes and packaging recyclability for better end-of-life management, are essential for Cascades PRO® in providing products that meet high customer standards and requirements for safe ingredients and restricted substances.
How do you choose your ecolabel partners?
At Cascades, the selection of ecolabel partners is based on our values as a company and our commitment to offering quality products that meet our health and sustainability standards. Certifications are a stamp of credibility for us, and they demonstrate our customer integrity and dedication to our values. We believe our customers want to work with suppliers that share their commitment to sustainability. To us, the Green Seal label is a clear testament to the fact that Cascades’ products meet high environmental standards, which differentiates us from the competition.
How do you use Green Seal certification in your business?
We highlight our Green Seal-certified products in our communications, including sales material, marketing tools, and social media platforms. We also put the Green Seal mark on our packaging.
What’s next for Cascades?
Cascades continues to develop its sustainability expertise and leadership through innovative products and packaging solutions. We will also demonstrate our commitment through a renewed sustainability agenda, as our current sustainability action plan ends in 2025. Ambitious and science-based approaches will remain key for us, in alignment with the expectations of our stakeholders. Recycled content continues to be an important component of our business model, as well as initiatives such as third-party certifications, to support our goals and those of our business partners in our common journey for a more sustainable future.